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Chelsea has been a title contender from the beginning of the Premier League 2013/14 season. Given the number of quality players they have in their squad, Chelsea are surely a force to be reckoned with. Another important thing behind Chelsea's quality performances this season is the fact that they have Jose Mourinho. He has been a great addition to this season's Premier League and one cannot disagree that he has added spice and entertainment in the league. In this slide show, we list 5 reasons why Chelsea might not bring home the title.
#1 Champions League distraction
If Chelsea qualifies for the quarter finals, which looks likely to happen, It would be a serious distraction during the final stages of the League. Jose Mourinho would be in a serious dilemna as to which tournament he should focus on. Qualifying further in the Champions League would mostly mean that Chelsea would give it a proper go to win the Champions league, which might decrease their focus on the domestic front.
#2 Lack of fire-power upfront
Lack of goal scorers has been a major concern for the Blues from the very beginning of the season. Chelsea had roped in Samuel Eto’o at the beginning of the season, but Eto’o has not turned out to be the solution to Jose Mourinho’s problems. As the season has progressed, it is clear that Eto’o is no different from the other Chelsea forwards. Other than his hat-trick against Manchester United, the Cameroonian’s performance have not been noteworthy.
Chelsea’s goal scorers have been mostly midfielders and defenders! This has reflected in the number of goals they have scored so far and their goal difference. The day their midfielders stop scoring, Chelsea might falter as their strikers haven't given them great cause for optimism.
#3 Over-reliance on Eden Hazard
Many people will argue that Chelsea has a large pool of attacking midfielders, but the truth is Eden Hazard has been the most pivotal player for Chelsea. The Belgian has been in sublime form this season which has helped Chelsea perform so well. He has scored goals, provided a number of assists and has been a leader on the field. Hazard has featured in all the 29 games Chelsea have played in the league.
Although Mourinho has shuffled his pack quite often, the one constant has been Hazard. So if Eden Hazard gets injured in the final stages it may prove hazardous to Chelsea’s title aspirations.
#4 Manchester Citys games in hand
Even though Chelsea are ahead by 7 points, Manchester City are yet to play three matches which got postponed because of their Cup commitments. City has no other tournament to focus on now and that would help them to concentrate on the league. If they win all the three rescheduled games, they go on top due to a much superior goal difference.
#5 Goal difference
Among the top four teams, Chelsea has the third best goal difference. Manchester City and Liverpool have a much better goal difference which would be difficult to achieve for Chelsea. Considering the amount of competition in this season’s Premier League, goal difference might prove to be a differentiating factor come the end of the season, and given theirs isn't great, it might be detrimental to their title aspirations.
